Title :
Numerical simulation and experiment of plasma flow in the electrothermal launcher SIRENS
Author :
Hurley, J.D. ; Bourham, M.A. ; Gilligan, J.G.
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Nucl. Eng., North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC, USA
Abstract :
An electrothermal plasma source (ET) may be used as a launcher by itself, or as a preinjector for electromagnetic launchers (railguns) or electrothermal-chemical (ETC) launchers. The characteristics of the injected plasma may affect the performance of the plasma armature (EMs) or the combustion process (ETCs). A 1-D, time-dependent fluid dynamics code, ODIN, has been developed to model the plasma formation and flow in the source and the barrel of the ET launcher SIRENS. The code models the energy transport, particle transport, plasma resistivity, plasma viscosity, and the equation-of-state. The measured mass ion of the ablating liner in the source section is in good agreement with predicted by the code. Comparisons between the measured and predicted pressures inside the barrel are in good agreement.<>
Keywords :
electrothermal launchers; physics computing; plasma devices; plasma guns; plasma magnetohydrodynamics; plasma production; plasma simulation; plasma transport processes; 1-D time-dependent fluid dynamics code; ODIN; SIRENS; ablating liner; barrel; electromagnetic launchers; electrothermal launcher; electrothermal plasma source; electrothermal-chemical launchers; energy transport; equation-of-state; injected plasma; mass ion measurement; numerical simulation; particle transport; plasma flow; plasma formation; plasma resistivity; plasma viscosity; preinjector; railguns; Combustion; Electromagnetic launching; Electrothermal launching; Numerical simulation; Plasma measurements; Plasma properties; Plasma simulation; Plasma sources; Plasma transport processes; Railguns;
Journal_Title :
Magnetics, IEEE Transactions on
